Tailtiu
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Tailtiu (Old Irish pronunciation /ˈtalʲtʲu/; also written Tailltiu, Tailte) is the name of a presumed goddess from Irish mythology and the town in County Meath, now called Teltown, that was named after her.
According to the Book of Invasions, Tailtiu was the daughter of the king of Spain and the wife of Eochaid mac Eirc, last Fir Bolg High King of Ireland, who named his capital after her (now Teltown, between Navan and Kells). She survived the invasion of the Tuatha Dé Danann and became the foster mother of Lug. Lug established a festival, Áenach Tailteann in her honour, which continued to be celebrated as late as the 18th century. She died after clearing the plain of Breg in County Meath, and Lug instituted funeral games in her honour at the festival of Lughnasadh.
In historical times the town of Tailtiu was where the principal assembly of the early Uí Néill dynasties was held.
From the Locus Project at CELT, Tailte had one or two raths [residence(s)] in Munster:
- ráith canann: a ráith of queen Tailte, LL 201; cf. Rathcannon tl., Co. Limerick
- ráith con: rath of queen Tailte, LL 201; in Tuath Tailten, UM 165b, Lec. 514, Stowe D ii 2, 656; cf. Rathcon, in dry. and d. Cashel, Tax
Rathcanann and Rath Con may or may not be identical.
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